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The evolution of resistance in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) cells following chemotherapy is only partially understood. To understand the selection of factors driving heterogeneity before and through adaptation to treatment, we profile single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) transcriptomes of HGSOC tumors collected longitudinally during therapy. We analyze scRNA-seq data from two independent patient cohorts to reveal that HGSOC is driven by three archetypal phenotypes, defined as oncogenic states that describe the majority of the transcriptome variation. Using a multi-task learning approach to identify the biological tasks of each archetype, we identify metabolism and proliferation, cellular defense response, and DNA repair signaling as consistent cell states found across patients. Our analysis demonstrates a shift in favor of the metabolism and proliferation archetype versus cellular defense response archetype in cancer cells that received multiple lines of treatment. While archetypes are not consistently associated with specific whole-genome driver mutations, they are closely associated with subclonal populations at the single-cell level, indicating that subclones within a tumor often specialize in unique biological tasks. Our study reveals the core archetypes found in progressive HGSOC and shows consistent enrichment of subclones with the metabolism and proliferation archetype as resistance is acquired to multiple lines of therapy., High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is prone to developing resistance to treatment. Here, the authors use single-cell RNA-seq and an analysis of archetypes, and find that shifts in metabolism and proliferation are associated with the response to treatment and clonal heterogeneity in HGSOC.

Highlights • Patient tumor subclones that survive chemotherapy acquire primitive cell traits. • HDAC inhibitors can reverse chemo-acquired stemness states and abolish self-renewal abilities. • Belinostat promotes stem cell differentiation and inhibits HDAC and MYC pathways. • A ‘one-two punch’, chemotherapy-HDAC inhibitor combination strategy reverses chemo-induced resistant phenotypes., Cancer cell phenotypes evolve during a tumor's treatment. In some cases, tumor cells acquire cancer stem cell-like (CSL) traits such as resistance to chemotherapy and diminished differentiation; therefore, targeting these cells may be therapeutically beneficial. In this study we show that in progressive estrogen receptor positive (ER+) metastatic breast cancer tumors, resistant subclones that emerge following chemotherapy have increased CSL abundance. Further, in vitro organoid growth of ER+ patient cancer cells also shows that chemotherapy treatment leads to increased abundance of ALDH+/CD44+ CSL cells. Chemotherapy induced CSL abundance is blocked by treatment with a pan-HDAC inhibitor, belinostat. Belinostat treatment diminished both mammosphere formation and size following chemotherapy, indicating a decrease in progenitor CSL traits. HDAC inhibitors specific to class IIa (HDAC4, HDAC5) and IIb (HDAC6) were shown to primarily reverse the chemo-resistant CSL state. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis with patient samples showed that HDAC targets and MYC signaling were promoted by chemotherapy and inhibited upon HDAC inhibitor treatment. In summary, HDAC inhibition can block chemotherapy-induced drug resistant phenotypes with ‘one-two punch’ strategy in refractory breast cancer cells., Graphical abstract Image, graphical abstract

BackgroundCancer cell phenotypes evolve over the course of a tumor’s treatment. The phenotypes that emerge and disappear over time will be specific to each drug regimen and type of cancer. Chemotherapy remains one of the most common and effective treatments for metastatic breast cancer patients; however, resistance to chemotherapy inevitably emerges. Cancer chemotherapy treatment regimens are not designed to target emerging chemo-resistance, despite its clear importance in progressive cancer. This study focuses on finding sequential treatment strategies that target acquired chemo-resistant states and optimize response to chemotherapy.MethodsIn this study, we used heterogeneous tumor samples from patients to identify subclones resistant to chemotherapy. Using flow cytometry for stem cell markers and DNA sequencing to define subclonal population changes, we measured the enrichment of cancer stem cell-like (CSL) phenotypes in subclones that survive chemotherapy. We then analyzed breast cancer patient tumor organoids and cell line acquisition of CSL traits following chemotherapy, as well as the ability of different drugs to reverse acquired resistance, using flow cytometry, mammosphere assays, and single cell RNA-sequencing analysis.ResultsWe show that in progressive estrogen receptor positive (ER+) metastatic breast cancer patients, resistant tumor subclones that emerge following chemotherapy have increased CSL abundance. Further, in vitro organoid growth of ER+ patient cancer cells also shows that chemotherapy treatment leads to increased abundance of ALDH+/CD44+ CSL cells. Chemotherapy induced CSL abundance is blocked by treatment with a pan-HDAC inhibitor, belinostat. Further, belinostat treatment diminished both mammosphere formation and size following chemotherapy, also indicating a decrease in progenitor CSL traits. HDAC inhibitors specific to class IIa (HDAC4, HDAC5) and IIb (HDAC6) were shown to primarily reverse the chemo-resistant CSL state. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis with patient samples showed that HDAC targets and MYC signaling were promoted by chemotherapy and inhibited upon HDAC inhibitor treatment.ConclusionThese findings indicate that HDAC inhibition can block chemotherapy-induced drug resistant phenotypes with ‘one-two punch’ strategy in refractory breast cancer cells.

The evolution of resistance in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) cells following chemotherapy is only partially understood. To uncover phenotypic changes associated with chemotherapy resistance, we profiled single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) transcriptomes of HGSOC tumors collected longitudinally during patient treatment. Analysis of scRNA-seq data from two independent patient cohorts revealed that HGSOC is driven by three core archetypal phenotypes, defined as oncogenic tasks that describe the majority of the transcriptome variation. A multi-task learning approach to identify the biological tasks of each archetype identified metabolism and proliferation, cellular defense response, and DNA repair signaling. The metabolism and proliferation archetype evolved during treatment and was enriched in cancer cells from patients that received multiple-lines of treatment and had elevated tumor burden indicated by CA-125 levels. The emergence of archetypes was not consistently associated with specific whole-genome driver mutations. However, archetypes were closely associated with subclonal populations at the single-cell level, indicating that subclones within a tumor often specialize in unique biological tasks. Our study reveals the core archetypes found in progressive HGSOC and shows consistent enrichment of subclones with the metabolism archetype as resistance is acquired to multiple lines of therapy. Citation Format: Aritro Nath, Patrick Cosgrove, Benjamin Copeland, Hoda Mirsafian, Elizabeth Christie, Lance Pflieger, Sumana Majumdar, Mihaela Cristea, Ernest Han, Stephen Lee, Edward Wang, Sian Fereday, Nadia Traficante, Ravi Salgia, Theresa Werner, Adam Cohen, Phillip Moos, Jeffrey Chang, David Bowtell, Andrea Bild. Evolution of core archetypal phenotypes in progressive high grade serous ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 3141.

Infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) leads to inflammatory events that can promote gastric cancer development. Immune cells transition from the circulation into the infected mucosa through the interaction of their receptors and ligands in the endothelial compartment. CD44 expression is increased in advanced gastric lesions. However, the association of this molecule with the progression of these lesions over time has not been investigated. In addition, there is a lack of understanding of the CD44-dependent cellular processes that lead to gastritis, and possibly to gastric cancer. Here we studied H. pylori-positive subjects with gastric lesions that ranged from multifocal atrophic gastritis to dysplasia to determine gene expression changes associated with disease progression over a period of six years. We report that CD44 expression is significantly increased in individuals whose gastric lesions progressed along the gastric precancerous cascade. We also show that CD44−/− mice develop less severe and less extensive H. pylori-induced metaplasia, and show fewer infiltrating Gr1+ cells compared to wild type mice. We present data suggesting that CD44 is associated with disease progression. Mechanisms associated with these effects include induction of interferon gamma responses.

The complex formation between luteolin (L) and vanadium(IV) oxide sulphate monohydrate (VOSO4·H2O) was examined under UV-visible, infra-red spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy and NMR techniques. The spectroscopic data indicated that luteolin reacts with vanadium oxide cation (VO(+2)) through 4-carbonyl-5-hydroxy chelation site in the two luteolin molecule. The free radical antioxidant activity of the complex with respect to the parent molecule was evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2'-azinobis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid diammonium salt (ABTS) methods. It was observed that the free radical scavenging activity and ferric ion reducing potential of luteolin was increased after the formation of complex with vanadium oxide (VO(+2)) cation.

A new trend was developed for the formation of a complex between vanadium and flavonoid derivatives in order to increase the intestinal absorption and to reduce the toxicity of vanadium compounds. The vanadium-rutin complex was characterized by several spectroscopic techniques like ultraviolet (UV)-visible, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), NMR, mass spectrometry, and microscopic evaluation by scanning electron microscopy. The mononuclear complex was formed by the interaction between vanadium and rutin with 1:2 metal to ligand stoichiometry. Antioxidant activity of the complex was evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2 picrylhydrazyl, ferric-reducing power, and 2,2'-azin-obis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid methods. It was shown that radical scavenging activity and ferric-reducing potential of free rutin was lower as compared with vanadium-rutin complex. The study was also investigated for oral acute toxicity and 28 days repeated oral subacute toxicity study of vanadium-rutin complex in balb/c mice. The vanadium-rutin complex showed mortality at a dose of 120 mg/kg in the balb/c mice. In 28 days repeated oral toxicity study, vanadium-rutin complex was administered to both sex of balb/c mice at dose levels of 90, 45, and 20 ppm, respectively. In addition, subacute toxicity study of vanadium-rutin complex (at 90 ppm dose level) showed increase levels of white blood cell (WBC), total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen and decrease level of total protein (TP) as compared with control group. Histopathological study of vanadium-rutin showed structural alteration in the liver, kidney, and stomach at 90 ppm dose level. No observed toxic level of vanadium-rutin complex at 20 ppm dose level could be good for further study.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in cytokine genes can affect gene expression and thereby modulate inflammation and carcinogenesis. However, the data on the association between SNPs in the interleukin 1 beta gene (IL1B) and colorectal cancer (CRC) are conflicting. We found an association between a 4-SNP haplotype block of the IL1B (-3737C/-1464G/-511T/-31C) and CRC risk, and this association was exclusively observed in individuals with a higher proportion of African ancestry, such as individuals from the Coastal Colombian region (odds ratio, OR 2.06; 95% CI 1.31–3.25; p 2q14 (p = 0.03). We conclude that Colombian individuals with high African ancestry proportions at locus 2q14 harbour more IL1B-CGTC copies and are consequently at an increased risk of CRC. This haplotype has been previously found to increase the IL1B promoter activity and is the most frequent haplotype in African Americans. Despite of limitations in the number of samples and the lack of functional analysis to examine the effect of these haplotypes on CRC cell lines, our results suggest that inflammation and ethnicity play a major role in the modulation of CRC risk.

The speckle-type POZ protein (SPOP) is a tumor suppressor in prostate cancer (PCa). SPOP somatic mutations have been reported in up to 15% of PCa of those of European descent. However, the genetic roles of SPOP in African American (AA)-PCa are currently unknown. We sequenced the SPOP gene to identify somatic mutations in 49 AA prostate tumors and identified three missense mutations (p.Y87C, p.F102S, and p.G111E) in five AA prostate tumors (10%) and one synonymous variant (p.I106I) in one tumor. Intriguingly, all of mutations and variants clustered in exon six, and all of the mutations altered conserved amino acids. Moreover, two mutations (p.F102S and p.G111E) have only been identified in AA-PCa to date. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed a lower level of SPOP expression in tumors carrying SPOP mutations than their matched normal prostate tissues. In addition, SPOP mutations and novel variants were detected in 5 of 27 aggressive PCa and one of 22 less aggressive PCa (P < 0.05). Further studies with increased sample size are needed to validate the clinicopathological significance of these SPOP mutations in AA-PCa.

// Jone Garay 1 , M. Blanca Piazuelo 2 , Lizbeth Lopez-Carrillo 3 , Yelda A. Leal 4 , Sumana Majumdar 1 , Li Li 1 , Nataly Cruz-Rodriguez 1, 5, 6 , Silvia J. Serrano-Gomez 1, 5, 6 , Carlos S. Busso 7 , Barbara G. Schneider 2 , Alberto G. Delgado 2 , Luis E. Bravo 8 , Angela M. Crist 9 , Stryder M. Meadows 9 , M. Constanza Camargo 10 , Keith T. Wilson 2, 11 , Pelayo Correa 2 and Jovanny Zabaleta 1, 12 1 Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA, USA 2 Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA 3 Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico 4 Unidad de Investigacion Medica Yucatan de la Unidad Medica de Alta Especialidad (UMAE) del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Yucatan, Mexico 5 Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia 6 Grupo de Investigacion en Biologia del Cancer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, Bogota, Colombia 7 Department of Otorhinolaryngology, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA, USA 8 Department of Pathology, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia 9 Department of Cell and Molecular Biology Tulane University, New Orleans LA, USA 10 Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA 11 Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN, USA 12 Department of Pediatrics, LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA, USA Correspondence to: Jovanny Zabaleta, email: jzabal@lsuhsc.edu Keywords: precancerous gastric lesions, DMBT1 , H. pylori , inflammation, gastric cancer Received: October 25, 2016 Accepted: March 16, 2017 Published: April 03, 2017 ABSTRACT Helicobacter pylori infection triggers a cascade of inflammatory stages that may lead to the appearance of non-atrophic gastritis, multifocal atrophic, intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, and cancer. Deleted in malignant brain tumors 1 (DMBT1) belongs to the group of secreted scavenger receptor cysteine-rich proteins and is considered to be involved in host defense by binding to pathogens. Initial studies showed its deletion and loss of expression in a variety of tumors but the role of this gene in tumor development is not completely understood. Here, we examined the role of DMBT1 in gastric precancerous lesions in Caucasian, African American and Hispanic individuals as well as in the development of gastric pathology in a mouse model of H. pylori infection. We found that in 3 different populations, mucosal DMBT1 expression was significantly increased (2.5 fold) in individuals with dysplasia compared to multifocal atrophic gastritis without intestinal metaplasia; the increase was also observed in individuals with advanced gastritis and positive H. pylori infection. In our animal model, H. pylori infection of Dmbt1-/- mice resulted in significantly higher levels of gastritis, more extensive mucous metaplasia and reduced Il33 expression levels in the gastric mucosa compared to H. pylori -infected wild type mice. Our data in the animal model suggest that in response to H. pylori infection DMBT1 may mediate mucosal protection reducing the risk of developing gastric precancerous lesions. However, the increased expression in human gastric precancerous lesions points to a more complex role of DMBT1 in gastric carcinogenesis.

New treatments for adults with acute lymphoblastic T-cell leukemia (T-ALL) are urgently needed, as the current rate of overall remission in these patients is only about 40 percent. We recently showed the potential therapeutic benefit of the pegylated-human-arginase I (peg-Arg I) in T-ALL. However, the mechanisms by which peg-Arg I induces an anti-T-ALL effect remained unknown. Our results show the induction of T-ALL cell apoptosis by peg-Arg I, which associated with a global arrest in protein synthesis and with the phosphorylation of the eukaryotic-translation-initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α). Inhibition of eIF2α phosphorylation in T-ALL cells prevented the apoptosis induced by peg-Arg I, whereas the expression of a phosphomimetic eIF2α form increased the sensibility of T-ALL cells to peg-Arg I. Phosphorylation of eIF2α by peg-Arg I was mediated through kinases PERK and GCN2 and down-regulation of phosphatase GADD34. GCN2 and decreased GADD34 promoted T-ALL cell apoptosis after treatment with peg-Arg I, whereas PERK had an unexpected anti-apoptotic role. Additional results showed that phospho-eIF2α signaling further increased the anti-leukemic effects induced by peg-Arg I in T-ALL-bearing mice. These results suggest the central role of phospho-eIF2α in the anti-T-ALL effects induced by peg-Arg I and support its study as a therapeutic target.

Mental illness is any illness experienced by a person which affects their emotions, thoughts or behaviour, which is out of keeping with their cultural beliefs and personality, and is producing a negative effect on their lives or the lives of their families. According to the World Health Organization, over 80% of people suffering from mental disorders such as epilepsy, schizophrenia, depression, intellectual disability, alcohol use disorders and those committing suicide are living in low-and middleincome countries. Mental disorders are responsible for twelve to fifteen percent of the total global burden of disease—a greater percentage than cardiovascular disease and twice as much as all cancers combined. By 2030, depression is forecasted to be the single highest contributor to the burden of disease in the world. All people with mental health problems have the right to live their lives without arbitrary or inappropriate interference. People affected by mental illness are among the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our community. They are doubly challenged. On the one hand, they are suffering and struggling with the symptoms and the disabilities due to the disease and on the other, they are experiencing stigma and discrimination that stem out from the misconceptions about mental illness till this century. They suffer from widespread, systemic discrimination and are consistently denied the rights and services to which they are entitled. As a result of these, good jobs, safe shelter and satisfactory health care services i.e. their quality of life have been denied. This paper seeks to pay attention to the stigma and discrimination prevailing in the society for people with mental illness. This paper also discussed few National and International Standards meant to protect their Right to Health and also suggested some possible measures to help them to live with dignity.

SPOP (Speckle-type POZ protein) is a tumor suppressor in prostate cancer (PCa). Somatic heterozygous missense mutations in SPOP have been reported in up to 15% of PCa in Caucasian American (CA). However, the mutation frequency and the genetic role of SPOP in African American (AA) PCa are currently unknown. We sequenced exons 6 and 7 of the SPOP gene for somatic mutations in 49 AA prostate tumor tissues collected in the Southern Louisiana area and identified five (10%) tumors carrying heterozygous missense mutations and one tumor carrying a novel synonymous variant. Intriguingly, all mutations are clustered in exon 6 and change conserved amino acids. Moreover, three mutations represent novel mutations and unique to AA PCa. To further identify unique SPOP somatic mutations in AA PCa, we expanded mutation screening to all of the other exons of the SPOP gene but no additional coding variant or deletion/insertion was identified. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis indicates that the SPOP mutations in AA prostate tumors reduced SPOP RNA levels in tumors compared with SPOP levels in their adjacent normal prostate tissues; therefore, supporting the notion of SPOP as a tumor suppressor gene. These results indicate that AA prostate tumors carry similar frequency but a unique profile of SPOP somatic mutations as in Caucasian PCa. The clinical relevance and the pathological significance of SPOP mutations in AA PCa will be discussed. Citation Format: Eric L. Buckles, Chiping Qian, Sumana Majumdar, Jovanny Zabaleta, Wanguo Liu. Unique SPOP somatic mutations in African American prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr C75. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-C75